William John Wills

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William John Wills – Life, Explorations, and Notable Sayings

William John Wills (1834–1861) was an English surveyor, astronomer, and explorer, best known as second-in-command of the Burke & Wills expedition—the first attempt to cross Australia from south to north. Discover his biography, achievements, challenges, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

William John Wills occupies a tragic and heroic place in exploration history. As the scientific mind behind parts of the ill-fated Burke & Wills expedition (1860–61), he combined skills in surveying, astronomy, and meteorology to chart unknown interior territory. Though he perished on the return journey, Wills’s journals and observations remain a key record of early Australian exploration. His life is a study in ambition, sacrifice, and the limits of knowledge in extreme conditions.

Early Life and Family

William John Wills was born on 5 January 1834 in Totnes, Devon, England.

As a child he contracted a fever that left him with a “slow and hesitating speech,” which he carried into adulthood. St Andrew’s Grammar School in Ashburton from 1845 to 1850.

Though he had medical training, Wills gravitated toward surveying and exploration—fields in which his analytical mind and observational discipline would serve him well.

Move to Australia and Scientific Training

In 1852, Wills and his brother Thomas emigrated to Victoria, Australia, arriving in early January 1853.

By 1858, he took up a post at the Magnetic Observatory at Flagstaff Hill in Melbourne, working with Georg von Neumayer and others in meteorology, astronomy, and magnetic observations.

During this period, Wills also became more closely connected with the Victorian scientific community, via the Royal Society of Victoria and the committee that organized the planned exploration of Australia’s interior.

The Burke & Wills Expedition: Ambition and Tragedy

Appointment & Journey to the Outback

In July 1860, the Victorian government authorized an expedition to cross Australia from south to north. Wills was appointed third-in-command, as surveyor, astronomical and meteorological observer.

The expedition departed Melbourne on 20 August 1860 with 19 men, 27 camels, and 23 horses. second-in-command under Burke.

They reached Cooper Creek on 11 November 1860 and prepared for the final push northward. 16 December 1860, Burke, Wills, John King, and Charley Gray left Cooper Creek toward the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Scientific Observations & Challenges

As the expedition marched, Wills maintained detailed journals of meteorological, astronomical, geographic, and botanical observations. His keen observational mind is evident in the surviving records.

But the challenges mounted: harsh terrain, extreme climate fluctuations, scarce supplies, flooding rains, and internal friction. 21 April 1861, only to find that the supply party had left just hours earlier.

With provisions exhausted and with his body failing, Wills stayed in a shelter while urging Burke and King to press on. He died at a location known as Breerily Waterhole at Cooper Creek, likely 28 June 1861. Burke died soon thereafter.

King survived the ordeal by living with Aboriginal people until rescue. Later, bodies of Burke and Wills were exhumed and honored with a state funeral in Melbourne in January 1863.

Legacy and Impact

Though the expedition ended in tragedy, Wills’s contributions endure:

• Scientific record: His journals provide valuable data on interior Australia in a time when much was unknown.

• Exploration milestone: While they didn’t see open coastline, they effectively succeeded in crossing much of the continent’s interior.

• Symbol of sacrifice: Burke and Wills left a cultural legacy in Australia as legendary explorers whose story warns of hubris, planning failures, and the harshness of the land.

• Memorials and remembrance: The “Dig Tree” at Cooper Creek and multiple geographical sites recall their journey.

• Inspiration for exploration discourse: Wills’s life is often studied in debates about leadership, planning, colonial expansion, and the limits of scientific ambition in extreme environments.

Personality, Strengths & Flaws

Wills was described in historical accounts as having an expressive eye, intellectual curiosity, and a “sympathising” temperament.

However, his ill health (including the aftereffects of childhood fever) and the extreme stresses of the expedition tested his limits. His cautious temperament may have sometimes conflicted with the urgency and boldness that expedition leadership demanded.

His decision to remain when he could no longer travel—a mixture of loyalty, responsibility, and physical collapse—exhibits both his courage and the tragedy of constrained options.

Memorable Quotes

Though fewer in number than some public figures, several quotations attributed to Wills reflect his outlook and the tone of his journals:

“The actual danger is nothing, and the positive advantages very great.” “I have deposited some of my journals here for fear of accidents.” “You should carefully study the Art of Reasoning, as it is what most people are very deficient in …” “I am often disgusted at hearing young people I know … they might be killed.” “I consider nothing low but ignorance, vice, and meanness … where the animal propensities predominate over the higher sentiments.”

These lines show his concern with intellectual rigor, human weakness, and the tension between risk and reward in exploration.

Lessons from William John Wills

• Preparation matters—but cannot eliminate all risk. Wills’s scientific training and discipline could not fully control nature’s unpredictability.

• Balance ambition with humility. The expedition’s failure is a cautionary tale about overreaching without contingencies.

• Records outlive lives. Even though Wills did not survive, his observations, maps, and journals continue to inform historical and scientific discourse.

• Collaboration and leadership conflict matter. The tensions between leadership styles (Burke vs. Wills) played a role in outcomes.

• Legacy through sacrifice. Wills’s life reminds us that some contributions are posthumous—valued not only for what was achieved, but what was risked.

Conclusion

William John Wills’s life might be brief in years, but immense in consequence. He stands as the scientist-explorer caught in the nexus of curiosity and colonial ambition, precision and peril. His journals remain a testament to human striving against extreme odds. Though the Burke & Wills expedition is often taught as a failure, Wills’s role underscores that even in tragedy, scientific effort, courage, and sacrifice can echo across generations.